Influence of plasticity on the seismic soil–micropiles–structure interaction

This paper includes an analysis of the influence of soil plasticity on the seismic response of micropiles. Analysis is carried out using a global three-dimensional modeling in the time domain. The soil behavior is described using the non-associated Mohr–Coulomb criterion. Both the micropiles and the superstructure are modeled as three-dimensional beam elements. Proper boundary conditions are used to ensure waves transmission through the lateral boundaries of the soil mass. Analyses are first conducted for harmonic loadings and then for real earthquake records. They show that plasticity could have a significant influence on the seismic response of the soil–micropiles–structure systems. This influence depends on the amplitude of the seismic loading and the dominant frequencies of both the input motion and the soil–piles–structure system.     

Geotechnical and environmental considerations in highway layouts: an integrated GIS assessment approach

Highway route layout design typically relies on aerial photographs, topographic maps and geologic maps. In this paper, a GIS platform, which incorporates the main digital data needed for evaluating route layouts, is used in a computer-based approach for highway layout assessment. Possible layouts are evaluated based on two sets of criteria. First, traditional evaluation criteria focussing on geometric design factors and impact on man-made features are considered. Next, the developed assessment framework builds on the GIS platform to generate specific environmental and geotechnical criteria for route layout evaluation. The developed approach integrates highway design, slope stability, and traffic noise modeling packages and specifically written codes with the GIS packages ARC/INFO and ArcView. A prototypical application of the assessment framework for a proposed highway south of the city of Beirut, Lebanon is presented. The results demonstrate the potential of the developed approach in incorporating new evaluation criteria at the route layout design stage and in automating the route layout assessment procedure.     

Influence of diaphragm wall installation on the numerical analysis of deep excavation

This paper presents a numerical analysis of the influence of initial stress state on the response of deep excavation supported by retaining wall. Indeed, the influence of diaphragm wall installation prior to excavation works may affect the soil response and lateral wall deflection induced by excavation process. The first part of this paper gives a short review of the numerical methods aimed to reproduce the retaining wall installation. Numerical analysis of a deep excavation in two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional conditions is then performed according to the methods previously presented. In three‐dimensional conditions, diaphragm wall installation is performed considering a sequence of panels, described by their number and length. Results of three‐dimensional calculations confirm that stress state is disturbed by wall installation, which has a sensitive effect on the ground response induced by soil excavation. It is also noted that these results are not easily reproduced in two‐dimensional conditions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of the rate and volume of leakage using the slopes of time-drawdown data

Quantification of leakage is very important in the selection and design of the remediation systems of leaky aquifers that receive contaminated leakage. This is an approach for the calculation of leakage using only two slopes of time-drawdown data. These slopes represent before and after the start of leakage, and are applied to four examples. Results generally agree with those determined by the Hantush approach. Comparison of the two approaches, however, shows that the Hantush approach quantifies leakage using three aquifer parameters (transmissivity, storativity, and leakage factor), the value of which depend on the pumping test method used; it assumes constant hydraulic head in the aquifer supplying leakage, which may not be valid under field conditions; and it ignores differences between the viscosities of the leakage water and the aquifer water, which influence the leakage rate. The proposed approach is free from all three limitations.     

Influence of the head and tip connection on the seismic performance of micropiles

This paper presents a study of the influence of connection conditions at the head and tip of micropiles on their response to seismic loading. The study is carried using a fully three-dimensional finite element modeling. The soil is assumed to be elastic with Rayleigh damping. The superstructure is modeled by a single degree of freedom system composed of a concentrated mass and a column. The study is carried out for both vertical and inclined micropiles. The results of analyses show that a pinned connection between the micropiles and the cap leads to a reduction in the axial force and bending moment in micropiles, in particular for inclined micropiles. They also show that the embeddement of the tip of micropiles in a stiff substratum layer leads to a dramatic increase in the internal forces in the micropiles.     

The Northern end of the Dead Sea Basin: Geometry from reflection seismic evidence

Recently released reflection seismic lines from the Eastern side of the Jordan River north of the Dead Sea were interpreted by using borehole data and incorporated with the previously published seismic lines of the eastern side of the Jordan River. For the first time, the lines from the eastern side of the Jordan River were combined with the published reflection seismic lines from the western side of the Jordan River. In the complete cross sections, the inner deep basin is strongly asymmetric toward the Jericho Fault supporting the interpretation of this segment of the fault as the long-lived and presently active part of the Dead Sea Transform. There is no indication for a shift of the depocenter toward a hypothetical eastern major fault with time, as recently suggested. Rather, the north-eastern margin of the deep basin takes the form of a large flexure, modestly faulted. In the N–S-section along its depocenter, the floor of the basin at its northern end appears to deepen continuously by roughly 0.5 km over 10 km distance, without evidence of a transverse fault. The asymmetric and gently-dipping shape of the basin can be explained by models in which the basin is located outside the area of overlap between en-echelon strike-slip faults.     

Three‐dimensional analysis of the seismic behaviour of micropiles used in the reinforcement of saturated soil

This paper includes a numerical study of the behaviour of micropiles used for the reinforcement of saturated soil. Analysis is carried out using the (u–p) formulation (displacement for the solid phase and pore‐pressure for the fluid phase) implemented in a three‐dimensional finite element program. The soil behaviour is described by means of a cyclic elastoplastic constitutive relation which was developed within the framework of the bounding surface concept. The paper is composed of three parts. The first one is concerned with a presentation of the numerical model; the second includes analysis of the seismic behaviour of a single micropile; the last part deals with the group effect under seismic loading. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Explication de décrues anormales par modèles analogiques de réservoirs

Résumé

Des modèles analogiques de réservoirs ont été élaborés à partir de l'analyse de débits de décrue de deux sources karstiques. La première source est caractérisée par une linéarité entre le débit et le temps; la seconde l'est par une loi en puissance. Pour les deux sources, il n'y a pas linéarité entre le volume d'eau souterraine stocké et le débit de la source pour un même temps. Les modèles analogiques élaborés sont constitués d'une association verticale en série de réservoirs. Pour la première source, il s'agit de réservoirs à parois verticales uniquement. Pour la seconde, il s'agit de réservoirs à parois verticales et d'un réservoir dont la géométrie des parois suit une loi en puissance à dimension non entière. La plausibilité et la reproductibilité des modèles analogiques proposés ont été validées en fonction des données disponibles. Il a été démontré que le cas de réservoirs linéaires en milieu karstique est un cas très particulier. Il correspond à des réservoirs à géométrie hyperbolique ou à des réservoirs à parois verticales à filtre poreux.

Editeur Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Carlier, E., Zouhri, L. et Shahrour, I., 2012. Explication de décrues anormales par modèles analogiques de réservoirs. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (5), 913–927.     

Numerical Analysis of Elastoplastic Behavior of Stone Column Foundation

This paper deals with the influence of the earth pressure at rest coefficient K ₀ on stone columns behavior. This parameter is related to the initial stresses caused by the compression of in situ soil and by the installation (expansion of column material). Numerical calculations based on finite element method are compared to analytical methods and conventional engineering methods addressed to the design of stone columns. The presented results led to a better comprehension of previous methods for the design of stone column and highlighted the importance of well defining the initial stress level due to stone columns installation.